Mistystar's Nine Lives
I've always loved Mistyfoot, and I'm so glad that she gets to be leader in Fading Echoes! Anyway, enjoy! --HoneyfurBob's Your Uncle! Mistystar's Nine Lives "Don't worry, you'll do fine, Mistyfoot." Mothwing rested her tail reassuringly on Mistyfoot's quivering flank. The blue-gray she-cat was still grieving for the death of Leopardstar, the former leader of RiverClan, who had died from a terrible sickness that had spread through the RiverClan camp. Mistyfoot had been RiverClan's deputy at the time, and was now on her way to the Moonpool to receive her nine lives. Even though she was grief-stricken and doubtful of the future, she straightened herself up, trying to look as confident as possible. "I know, Mothwing." She meowed, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'll try my hardest to follow in my mother's pawsteps." "Don't forget your father." Mothwing added. "I've heard he was just as great." "Yes....he was." A wave of grief washed over Mistyfoot as she remebered her father. Oakheart had been deputy of RiverClan when Mistyfoot was growing up. His death had been a harsh blow, but she had had her brother, Stonefur, to help look after her. More grief tugged at her heart at the thought of her brother. No. Mistyfoot thought fiercely. I can't break down....not here....anyway, I'll probably see them both in StarClan. A feeling of relief swept over Mistyfoot at the thought, and she had the endurance to take another step forward. "That's it." Mothwing coaxed. "You're doing fine." Mistyfoot opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again. There was no need to act tough in front of a medicine cat. Shrugging, she began padding forward again. Mothwing filed after her. They were only a few tail-lengths from the Moonpool's entrance. Mistyfoot pricked her ears, and heard the steady fall of the Moonpool's glistening waterfall. "Almost there." Mothwing commented. Mistyfoot looked up wearily. Sure enough, she could already see the path that sloped down to the Moonpool. Mothwing gestured with her tail for Mistyfoot to pad forward, and the RiverClan deputy obeyed the medicine cat without a word. As Mistyfoot padded down the path, she felt her paws slip into the ancient pawsteps made by cats long ago. As her fur brushed past the reeds growing by the side of the pool, Mistyfoot thought she could feel silky pelts brushing up against hers. "Welcome, Mistyfoot." A voice breathed into her ear. Mistyfoot breathed in deeply. Everything was going to be fine. All the cats she had been closest to were about to appear before her very eyes. "Are you ready?" Mothwing, who was right on Mistyfoot's tail, flicked her tail questioningly. Mistyfoot shook herself. This was no time to daydream. "Of course." She murmured. She began to pad forward again, acutely aware that the strange pelts were still brushing against hers. "Welcome, young warrior." "Are you ready to face your destiny?" "Welcome, Mistystar." Mistyfoot tried to drown the strange voices out as she approached the side of the pool. Staring down into the clear water, Mistyfoot was ready to see her loved ones again. "You've suffered a lot of pain, Mistyfoot." Mistyfoot heard Mothwing step up from behind her. "You will be a wonderful leader, nine lives or none." Mistyfoot was bewildered. Did Mothwing believe that StarClan would not grant her her nine lives? Shaking the thought away, Mistyfoot dipped her head in acceptance, then settled beside the side of the pool. She tentatively reached forward and touched her nose to the surface of the water. Immediately, she felt icy cold sear through her fur, wrapping itself around her paws and twisting itself around her tail. Mistyfoot closed her eyes. For a moment, there was pure darkness. Mistyfoot's eyes stayed shut tight. She was afraid of what she would see. "Open your eyes, Mistyfoot." Mistyfoot stiffened. What was going to happen? But before she could argue with herself any more, determination seared through her pelt, and she opened her blue eyes wide. She was standing on the bank of a river. It took a moment for Mistyfoot to realize that it was the river back in the old forest. She was home again! "Welcome, Mistyfoot." For the first time, Mistyfoot realized that there was a crowd of cats sitting between her and the river. Their pelts were filled with starlight and their eyes shone brightly as they gazed at Mistyfoot. Mistyfoot dipped her head in greeting. "Thank you for accepting me, StarClan." She murmured, keeping her eyes glued on her paws. When she lifted her head again, she saw a single cat leave the shining ranks. Her heart jumped in surprise when she recognized the gray tabby pelt of Rippletail, the warrior who had died trying to free the lake's water from beavers. "Hello, Mistyfoot." He meowed, dipping his head to her. "I always knew that you'd make a wonderful leader one day." "Thank you, Rippletail." Mistyfoot breathed, unable to take her eyes off the shining warrior. When he had left the RiverClan camp for the water patrol, he had been skinny and frail, hunger having changed him. But now he was at the height of his power; young and handsome, Rippletail was once more broad-shouldered and muscular, as he had been before the drought. Rippletail leaned forward, jolting Mistyfoot from her thoughts. "With this life, I give you courage. Be brave in times of turmoil. Your ancestors will never leave you, Mistyfoot. You must trust them to keep your Clan safe." Pain seared through Mistyfoot as the first life soared through her veins. She felt a warm feeling arise in her stomach, as if she could fight all the Clans at once, and her heart swelled until she thought that it would burst through her chest. Her eyes shot open, and she collapsed on the ground, panting. Rippletail padded away, flicking her shoulder as he went. Another cat, a beautiful, silver tabby, took his place, and padded toward Mistyfoot with a warm look in her eyes. "I'm glad to see you again, my loyal mentor." Feathertail purred, nuzzling Mistyfoot affectionately. "I never did get to say good-bye." Mistyfoot purred, breathing in Feathertail's sweet scent. It had been so long since Mistyfoot had seen her old apprentice. Feathertail stepped forward, her eyes gleaming. "With this life, I give you loyalty. Follow your heart, Mistyfoot. Pledge yourself to what you know is right." This time, the pain was even greater. Mistyfoot's veins flowed with fire as she received the second life. She felt as if she was going to be swept off her paws. She felt the strong urge to protect her Clan as she swiped her claws across an enemy warrior's muzzle. At the same time, she suddenly felt her heart ache with loyalty to a cat from another Clan. His scent wreathed around her as she pressed herself up against him. But before she could do anything else, she was whisked away into battle; loyalty to her Clan clashed with loyalty to her love. Mistyfoot's eyes shot open. She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving. Feathertail was watching her closely. "That was how I felt about Crowfeather." She murmured, not taking her eyes off Mistyfoot. Mistyfoot looked up sharply. "You loved Crowfeather?" Feathertail's eyes glowed as she reached forward and rested her muzzle on Mistyfoot's head. "Have loyalty to what you know to be right." She murmured, closing her eyes. After a moment had passed, Feathertail pulled away and padded over to join the rest of StarClan. Another cat took her place. For a moment, Mistyfoot was confused. Were there two Feathertails? Then she realized that this wasn't Feathertail, but Feathertail's mother, and Mistyfoot's best friend when she had lived in the forest. "Silverstream!" Mistyfoot bounded forward and thrust her muzzle up against Silverstream's. "I thought I'd never see you again." She murmured, breathing in Silverstream's achingly familiar scent. "Of course you'd see me again." Silverstream meowed, licking Mistyfoot's ear affectionately. "I never truly left you in the first place." Mistyfoot's eyes brimmed with emotion as Silverstream leaned forward and rested her muzzled on Mistyfoot's head. "With this life, I give you justice. You must treat every cat fairly, and judge them all with the same fair thought in mind." Mistyfoot stiffened as pain swirled its way around her. She felt her heart twist with pain as she saw two cats standing before her. One was her life-long enemy; the other, her closest loved one. Would she have to judge them? How could she possibly be fair? She opened her eyes, her fur fluffed up. Silverstream flicked Mistyfoot's pelt with her tail. "Just as I offered you my friendship in the waking world," She whispered. "You must offer yours to every cat in your Clan." With that, the silver tabby turned and padded back to the ranks of StarClan. As she did so, another cat, a spotted, golden tabby, rose to her paws and padded towards Mistyfoot, a proud gleam in her eyes. "Mistyfoot," She purred as she came nearer. "My loyal warrior, my wise deputy, and my caring friend." Leopardstar touched her nose to Mistyfoot's. "I always knew you would follow in your mother's pawsteps." She whispered. Before Mistyfoot could reply, Leopardstar opened her mouth to continue. "With this life, I give you wisdom. Use it wisely to lead your Clan. Not all disputes must end in blood-shed." No pain prickled at her pelt as the new life soared through her. She felt her head fill with all the wisdom and certainty Leopardstar had had during her reign as leader. She felt as if she could find a solution to every problem; Twolegs, predators, leaf-bare....she would keep her Clan secure. Her eyes opened, and she saw that Leopardstar had padded away, to be replaced by a much smaller cat. Mistyfoot's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she recognized the patched pelt of her younger sister. Mosskit had frozen to death on the journey from ThunderClan to RiverClan, and Mistyfoot had never stopped grieving for her every moon since. "Mistyfoot," Her voice was deep for a cat at her age. "It's good to see you again, sister." Mistyfoot felt her eyes begin to water. "And you, little sister." She whispered. Mosskit reached forward, stretching up on her short, stubby legs to touch her nose to Mistyfoot's forehead. "With this life, I give you forgiveness. When you are unable to let go of the past, remember the cats who showed you compassion throughout your life, and reach out to those who haven't." A warm feeling filled Mistyfoot's belly as she received the new life. She felt the fiercest anger, then the liquid feeling of compassion as the new life swirled within her. "You will make a wonderful leader." Mosskit's mew echoed inside her head as she padded away. When the next cat padded forward, Mistyfoot felt her heart leap with joy. "Graypool!" Both cats rushed forward to meet each other, and collided in an explosion of joy, both purring so loudly they could have deafened the whole of StarClan. "I'm so proud to have been your mother." Graypool meowed, running her tail down Mistyfoot's flank. "But I'll never be able to take the place of your real mother." Graypool stretched forward and touched Mistyfoot. With a shiver, Mistyfoot listened to Graypool speak. "With this life, I give you acceptance. Do not judge a cat by its birth. Treat all cats with the respect they deserve." Mistyfoot felt like her pelt was on fire. She clamped her jaws down hard to prevent a screech from tearing through her throat. She saw a flash of amber eyes, and heard Tigerstar's menacing yowl echoing through her head. "Half-Clan cats have impure blood!" He was snarling. "If we wish to be feared and to be powerful, we must dispose of all the disloyal cats!" Yowls of agreement seared through Mistyfoot's head, and her eyes shot open. She lay on her side, gasping for breath. Graypool padded forward and licked Mistyfoot's head. "I was willing to accept you when Oakheart brought you to me." She whispered. "Treat others with the same acceptance." With a flick of her tail, she turned and padded away. Mistyfoot scrambled to her paws, still shaking from the memory of Tigerstar's treachery. But as she scanned the warriors of StarClan, her heart gave a skip of joy when she saw a single warrior padding toward her. Oakheart! "Father!" She bounded forward until she was a tail-length from her father. He padded forward, purring, and nuzzled her affectionately. "The image of your mother." He whispered, brushing his muzzle across her cheek. Mistyfoot's eyes glowed as he rested his chin on the top of her head. More Coming Soon Category:Honeyfur's Fanfictions